My Own Me
by thatblue
Summary: It had been four weeks and three days since he had been left on this world, and the the last thing he ever expected was becoming a man who wasn't the Doctor.
1. Chapter 1

**I've read a lot of duplicate Doctor stories, but I thought I would try my hand at it. Its just my idea of what might have happened, and who this new Doctor might have become. **

David glanced down at his watch again, and sighed softly. He rubbed at the blurriness- that he had discovered came after a long day in the field, followed by paperwork- in his eyes. It cleared. He was going to be late for his date with Rose, again. He was late, oh, half the time. His timing hadn't improved since becoming part human, that was for sure.

Rose, there was a complicated subject. Oh, he still loved her fiercely, and he doubted that it would ever changed, he just wasn't sure he loved her like the other him had. Or even as this him had a few weeks ago. Things were different now, and he wasn't sure how far the differences really ran.

He had been left her a little over a month ago, had been working for Torchwood for three weeks. He was settling in much better here, than he was in his outside life. He and Rose had decided to take things slow, him getting his own flat close to work. He hadn't wanted the time or distance at first, but he was thankful now. Because he was confused, and he needed this time to work it out.

That's why they were dating, because neither one was certain he was the man she had fallen in love with. And if he wasn't that man, he wasn't sure that she was who he wanted, needed to love. At least not like the other Doctor had.

It was funny, in a sad sort of way. Now that time was so limited it had never seemed so startling slow or blazingly fast. And it was hard to adjust. Was he running or crawling? He was never quite sure, anymore.

He looked up for a moment; his gaze settling on what rumor had it was going to be his new partner in the field. They had all been temporary until now. She was young, too young in his opinion to do this kind of work, but she was Rose's age. Even if he thought Rose was too young for this as well.

The office they worked in was almost empty, save Elizabeth- partner to be- him, and an older man named Gary. Gary seemed to be calling in a night though.

He liked Elizabeth; she was clever, kind and incredibly good at her job. She would make a good partner, he was certain. He and Rose had spoken of her briefly, because he felt it was right to tell her that his new partner would be female. Even if he didn't feel anything towards Elizabeth, though she was pretty, and Rose had looked up her work.

She had several merits on her file; she had saved several lives in the field. Like he said, a good partner.

Returning to his work, he filled in the blanks on the form, hesitating to call Rose. She wouldn't be happy, but she wouldn't give him a hard time about it either. She understood work, often answering a call or two during their dates.

His hand was tired, and he was reminded of a school he had never really attended. It had been a little over a month and David was becoming less the Doctor and more his own man with every passing moment. He had found his own intrest, his own taste, his own sense of humor. Though he still held a lot of the other man.

He just hadn't expected this, hadn't known he wasn't going to be the Doctor. Not really.

A soft voice spoke from near him, "Go on, David. Get to Rose. I'll finish your paperwork."

He looked up at her, finding nothing in her eyes but a sense of kindness. "No, I can't ask you to do that."

"It's a good thing you aren't asking, then, yeah?" She asked, her tone light, and joking.

"Really, Elizabeth. Thanks but I can just call and tell her that I'm running late."

He knew that everyone her knew that he and Rose were dating, and he wasn't surprised they even knew about their date, but that wasn't a reason for him to leave this huge stack of work to her.

She held out her hand thought, offering him no real choice, and he gave her the stack. With a smile she turned, and walked away. He could see her own work piled neatly on her desk, and he knew that she had to be exhausted. He sure was.

Once she was seated again, she told him without looking up, "Have fun David. Be safe."

"Thanks," he agreed, leaving his lamp on because the office seemed too dark for him.

He walked to the door, slipping on his coat, knowing that it was still snowing outside. She didn't look up, her face a mask of concentration. He tried but couldn't move his hand to open the door. He felt a tingle, something was wrong. His hairs raised, a feeling overwhelmed him, something he hadn't felt since he was a Time Lord.

He needed to go, he could still make it close to on time, but he didn't move. "Are you going to be okay, leaving on your own," he asked from the doorway.

She looked up surprised. He wasn't sure if it was surprise that he was still there, or that he cared enough to ask.

"OF course," she agreed, her mouth twitched into a small smile. "Thank, though."

He should go, she was fine. He had seen her, and knew that she was capable of taking care of herself but his feet wouldn't take him anywhere. He knew something was wrong, and the part of him that was still Time Lord wasn't going to let him walk away. Or maybe, it was the part that was human that wouldn't. He didn't know that either, not yet.

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

David stepped out into the hallway, but only to call Rose. She answered on the second ring, her voice tired.

"Hi Doctor," she said.

He liked that she called him Doctor, but he only wanted that from her. To the rest of this world he wanted to be David. He had chosen it himself, and now he was giving it a life.

"Hi Rose," he responded, trying to keep his tone light. No need to worry her, at least not yet. Not when he didn't know what was wrong.

"Are you going to be late or do we need to reschedule," she asked, but he tone didn't convey anger. She was resigned perhaps, but nothing more.

"Probably reschedule," he offered. "Long day and I'm sorry."

"I know," she told him. "It's fine, really. Long day for me too, I'll just stay in tonight."

"Are you all right," he asked.

"I'm fine," she answered with a yawn. "Are you?"

"Always," he said softly, listening to her sleepy voice. There was a time when that voice made his world stand still. Now it was just a pleasant melody.

She laughed a little and that did manage to make his heart flutter. She was so, so beautiful, his Rose. But maybe just maybe she wasn't his Rose anymore.

"Didn't believe it then, I'm not going to start now," she told him. "Good night Doctor, if you need anything call me."

"I will," he promised. "I love you Rose."

He did love her...

"Love you too, Doctor."

And there was the problem. He wasn't the man who she loved, at least not exactly. Could she love the real him, the one who wasn't more than an echo of the other man, maybe. But right now she didn't.

He hung up with a sad smile. Only time would tell, and he was on the slow path so he would have to wait.

Stepping back into the office, Elizabeth looked back up. She opened her mouth to speak but before the words came out she faded out of sight, and then his world went dark.

When he came back around he rolled onto his stomach and tried to settle the dizziness that was running wild in his head. Transmat. The word was a memory, but this feeling was real and all his own.

He went through a mental checklist, and his body seemed to be in working order, and when the dizziness faded at last he looked for Elizabeth. He found her sitting up slowly a few feet away, and he squatted down looking her over.

"You okay," he asked her.

"Yeah, what the hell happened," she asked him.

He gave her a small smile, and stood offering her his hand. She took it and they began to explore. "Transmat, but beyond that I'm not sure."

"Oh," she walked in the opposite direction.

It was loud in the room, which seemed to be an engine room, an engine on a spaceship if he was correct. And these engines were putting out a large amount of heat, sweat was already soaking into his shirt, and he wiped his brow.

"I found a door, David," she shouted over the noise, and he moved to join her.

It was locked, and though he had managed to build a sonic screwdriver it wouldn't budge. He sighed and she did as well.

"I'm sorry," he told her; because that was a habit he didn't think he would ever break. And he meant it.

"You didn't do this," she shook her head, and went to look around some more.

They really needed to get out of here, the heat was unbearable and they had nothing to drink. It wouldn't take long until they were overheated, and he was worried about her.

"Space ship," she asked, suddenly by his side. "A real space ship."

He beamed at her, her excitement he didn't often see on Earth bound people. "Yes, though I couldn't tell you who it belongs to."

She was smiling, just a little, like she was trying not to act interested in being abducted. "You're an expert right, David?"

He liked the way she said his name, and hoped she would do it often. "You could say that."

"I mean, obviously it isn't every species or anything because I've met several, but there aren't any that do that probe thing, right?"

Her eyes were alight with humor, but he sensed a little real worry in there. He thought hard. "Well," the word was stretched a bit. "Maybe some."

Her smile faltered, "Oh."

He hurried to reassure her, "I wouldn't let that happen, Elizabeth."

"What if they get you first," she asked, amusement still shining.

"You would defend my, erm, me, right?"

She flat out grinned at him now, "Yes, David. I wouldn't let them get you or your," she made a vague gesture in the direction of his rear end.

His name again, it had never sounded so good in his opinion. He wondered why he hadn't really noticed until now. Perhaps it was the heat. He didn't feel any particular attraction to her.

"Thank you," he said honestly, but he had already known that she would take care of him right back.

She swayed a little, and he reached out for her. The heat was starting to get to him as well. "Hey, hey," he soothed, "Let's sit, yeah?"

"I'm fine," she told him, but she didn't fight him when he lowered them both to the ground.

"Of course," he agreed, gently rubbing her back.

He removed his tie and opened the top button of his shirt. It wasn't long before it was unbuttoned, he could hardly stand this. As a Time Lord he had been able to control his temperature much better, but he didn't have that option now.

"Take your shirt off," he told her, hoping that didn't come out as a proposition.

She looked at her, eyes a little glassy. "What?"

"You are overheating," he told her, his tone gentle, his smile disarming. She was fading into darkness, and he needed to do something. "It's okay, I'm not going to try anything."

She let him tug it over her head, and she sat there. He tried not to look, but failed, but he kept it brief. It wasn't as if he could focus on the skin he saw when he felt like he was about to collapse himself.

"I don't want to die in an engine room." She told him, but she seemed like she was making conversation.

"I won't let you," he vowed, unsure of how he was going to accomplish that right now.

Suddenly he thought of his phone. He stood. "Elizabeth," he pulled out the sonic and set it to dampen the noise. "Can you hold this at the engines, I'm going to try to get us some help."

She nodded, pulling out of her dream state and grabbing the screw driver.

When she turned it on and he could hear a difference, he dialed Rose. She answered at last.

"Doctor?"

"Rose," he breathed out a relieved breath.

"Miss me already," she continued, without letting him get another word in. "The flowers and the visit were apology enough. I'm surprised you could sneak away for a couple minutes anyway."

"What do you mean?"

She paused, "What do you mean? You were just here, I don't understand. Did something happen?"


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Doctor Who. **

"Rose," he stopped her softly. "That wasn't…" he heard the phone click off, and he finished lamely. "Me."

He looked down at the screen and it was blank. He pushed buttons but it didn't come back on, and he frowned, the noises of the engines resuming their scream. He looked over at Elizabeth who was fumbling with the sonic and he went back over to her.

This was too much, and he was going to get them out of this room, and get some answers. He helped her slide her shirt back on, buttoning his and then helped her stand, moving them to that door she had found. He lifted his free hand and pounded on the door. This had to work. He had promised he wouldn't let her die in this room.

"Let us out," he shouted.

Much to his surprise it was only seconds before the door opened, and David felt a welcome gush of cooler air. He kept his grip tight around Elizabeth's waist and a man came into view. He was humanoid but with light orange skin, and green eyes.

"What are you doing in there, then?" He asked, giving them a head tilt. But before David could respond or ask questions of his own the man lifted his wrist and talked into it. "Bino, you better get down here. We have stowaways."

"We aren't stowaways," David argued, Elizabeth nodding. "You trans-matted us on this ship."

The man was looking at him, and David thought that he might be a little on the slow side. "We don't do that," he finally said, but clamped his mouth when another approached. "Bino, I found them in the engine room."

Bino seemed to be a little more with it, and sighed. "Captain wants to see them," he told the other man. "You can get back to work, Aine, I'll take care of them."

Aine nodded, and turned away. "Come on, best not to keep him waiting. Bad for both of us."

David followed them, Elizabeth walking better now that they were cooling off, but her skin was still much to warm against his skin. He needed to get them both some water, and they needed to rest for a while.

Bino informed him that he would have to take that up with the "Capin'"

David intended to do just that. It was a long walk, through a lot of hallways that didn't seem to house anything in them, before they reached the captain.

Bino opened the door with an announcement, "The stowaways, sir."

They were ushered inside, and David looked at the captain. He was leaned back in his chair, feet propped up on the desk before him, looking very relaxed. He looked over at them.

"Did they have bands or markings?" He asked, his voice very light, not what David had been expecting.

"No," Bino shook his head.

"What are you doing on my ship," the captain asked them.

"We were trans-matted," David told him. "Look, I don't know what's going on, or why you have someone impersonating me, but I can help you. You don't need to do this."

The captains face was blank. "I don't know what you mean; we don't do that kind of thing."

David believed him, which didn't make this news any better.

The captain looked at Bino, "Ours now," he told him. Process them, and then put them with the others."

Bino nodded, and it was then that the species finally clicked in David's brain. And they were in trouble.

"You are Slinto," he told the captain. "No, you can't. We don't belong here."

"My ship," he told them. He looked over at Elizabeth. "What's wrong with the female?"

"We were trapped in the engine room, she is overheated. We both are."

The captain looked them over again and then sighed. "Get them some water, Bino. Complete the processing here while they cool."

David was surprised, shocked, but thankful. It would give him another couple minutes to work on a way out. The Captain motioned for two of the others in the room to give David and Elizabeth their chairs.

"If we had known we wouldn't have left you there," he said softly. But added more gruffly. "Dead bodies aren't any good for the labor camps."

David watched him, certain there was some good that could be found in him. "I'm David and this is Elizabeth."

Maybe names would make it harder for him to send them to the labor camps. Make them too real.

The captain stood and walked over, leaning in and speaking softly. "If you want to keep her, you say she is your wife."

He leaned back, just as Bino was returning with a large pitcher of cool water. He poured two glasses and Elizabeth looked to David, waiting until he nodded before she drank.

The processing wasn't much, but David answered as best as could. Confirming that Elizabeth was his wife. He knew that they would be put in the same area now, and he wasn't going to lose her there.

They were fitted with two bands, and told they flashed when he and Elizabeth were together, sending out a frequency that could only be received by the other.

Apparently it confirmed they belonged together. Elizabeth watched this all but didn't speak. He hoped she wasn't angry about the wife comment but he had to do it.

Finally the captain told Bino to remove them, and David took Elizabeth's hand. She was much closer to normal as far as her temperature was concerned, and she gave him a tiny squeeze. He thought of Rose, and how she didn't even know that he was gone. And wondered how deep this all ran.

They were shoved into a room, with a wide variety of species, and it smelled horribly. Elizabeth's face crinkled but she didn't comment. He pulled her gently to the space a Til made on the bench. After he thank him, hoping he got the language right, he made her sit. He wondered for a moment how the captain had been speaking English, but not the species in these room, but he didn't linger on the thought.

"I'm sorry," he told her softly.

"What's going on, David."

He looked at her kindly, and explained as best he could. That they were being taken to one of three planets that served as labor camps. The Slinto raided planets, finding those who no one wouldn't be missed and they abducted them. Then forced them to work out a contract, which always found a way of being renewed, in the camps.

"But we will be together," she asked. She seemed to take comfort in that fact, and he had to admit he did as well. A friend in a world of strangers. They would need each other to survive.

"Find me, Rose," he whispered, and if Elizabeth heard she didn't say.


	4. Chapter 4

They arrived on the Planet of Gastin at an early hour, and he kept Elizabeth close by his side. They were given two set of clothes and explained the ways of the camp and led to the shack that the two of them would share. Inside were a small bed, a sink, and a tiny bathroom including a shower head but no shower door. Things were going to be awkward around there, but they would manage.

Right away they were separated being led off to their assignments. He was to work in the fields, her in the orchards, almost the entire planet being labor camp. Just sectioned off, so it was easier to manage. He was put to work at once, and by the time the sun began to sink in the sky he was aching everywhere, his hands dark, and he was fairly certain he had a sun burn.

They were allowed to bring home their percentage of work each day, and he was given two vegetables similar to carrots, and sent on his way. He waited inside on the single bed, anxious to see Elizabeth and know that she was okay.

She opened the door not long after, and he couldn't stop the hug he pulled her into. She groaned slightly and he pulled back, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, finding a small smile somewhere in her, "Sore, had me climbing these tall trees all day to collect. " She pulled out a small crossover between an earth apple and a peach and handed it to him. "That's all I got, sorry."

He just smiled, trying to be strong for her. They were in for rough time, and this was only the first day. He could only hope that the imposter would be reveled soon, and that they would be found.

He gave her one of the sort of carrots, actually called a Blin, and she nibbled away slowly. "Five minutes of water," he told her, "You can shower first."

She nodded slowly, and when she went into the bathroom he found some paper laying on the floor, probably from the previous occupants and started to doodle, anything not to think about the naked woman who would be visible if he turned.

She returned quickly, leaving him with three minutes of water. "You should have taken longer," he told her softly, exhaustion clear on her face. He moved, letting her climb into the bed, and he took his shower.

She wasn't quite asleep when he returned, slipping in beside her. They hadn't really discussed the bed situation but she didn't seem to object to sharing the bed and as he snuggled into it, trying to ignore how warm the air still was in the shack, he was grateful.

"David," she spoke softly, night closing in around them. He knew they would be up early, but his mind was fighting sleep, so he answered quickly.

"Yes?"

"I'm glad I'm not alone," she told him softly.

"Me too," he agreed after a pause. She however had already fallen asleep.

He settled at last, and dreamt of Rose until morning came.

There was no food, and they were sent to the field and orchard hungry, but he managed a quick hug and a few words of encouragement before they were sent off.

And so a pattern began, and they were two months in before he really took the time to look at their lives. Elizabeth was showering and he was using the paper, he had gotten some more for good behavior to write a complicated math problem. They had earned another five minutes of water for the day, due to working hard, and bringing in more than normal, and he was aching anew.

They were already underfed, overworked and exhausted, but the smile she had given him when he told her the news had made it worth the extra strain. This problem however was to distract himself, as well as a small test for Elizabeth.

Rose was getting less and less time in his mind, being filled instead with the woman singing softly in the shower. And yesterday he had written out a problem, but it was unfinished when it was his turn for the shower. When he came out, finding her asleep, it was solved though. It wasn't an easy one, well not for a human, but there it was, so today's was harder.

"Your turn," she smiled at him, her eyes holding a strong light even after these two months.

"Okay," he agreed, rising, he trusted her not to look, but sometimes he wished that she would.

His human hormones had decided to start being demanding and he was in close quarters with a beautiful female who currently smelled clean and fresh. He swallowed hard and thought of anything but what she looked like under the short and shirt she was wearing.

He showered, enjoying the extra time and sure enough when he left the problem was solved and she was resting on her side of the bed. He climbed in, scooting close to her experimentally. He wasn't quite sure what he was thinking yet, but he was fairly certain he was feeling something strong towards Elizabeth.

"All right, David," she asked.

"Did you want to hear a story," he asked, closer to her than he should be. What about Rose? This wasn't fair to her, right?

He had taken to telling her stories about the adventures the other him had had. She listened and laughed and showed complete interest, even when he babbled too long. But never once had she looked at him like he was less of a man now, never once had she wanted him to be the Doctor. He couldn't say the same for Rose, because that was exactly who she wanted. Who she had been searching for all that time, and this man in this bed, entertaining Elizabeth with tales of another man, wasn't the Doctor.

She laughed as he finished, and he surprised himself by kissing her cheek. "You didn't tell me you were a genius," he complained to her lightly. Sleep was far from his mind at that moment.

She chuckled, "Well you didn't tell me that you had a great looking bum."

She was half asleep he could tell, "Well I could hardly maintain my modesty if I told you that could I?"

She rolled over to face him more fully, and with a breath of surprise he realized that he had accidentally fallen in love with her. In two months he had done something the Time Lord could never do, get past Rose. But guilt played with his emotions. They were trying, how could he just give up on her.

Elizabeth looked like she wanted to say something, but seemed to sense his turmoil. She finally settled on. "Ditto."

And she rolled back over. He lay awake wondering what to do, because he had fallen hard and he didn't know how to stop.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm sick, but as I had to work on my book- deadlines…-I decided to update. Hopefully this doesn't turn out badly.**

It took another month before he realized one night that there was nothing he wanted more than to let Elizabeth know that he loved her. And tonight was the night. She was dressing and he waited until she exited the bathroom, telling him that it was his turn for the shower when he stopped her.

He placed both hand on her shoulder, hating how much weight she had lost since this whole event had begun. When he got out of here, when they got out of here, he would spend as long as she would let him making this up to her. Starting with her favorite food, which as it turned out was pizza.

"Elizabeth," there were circles under her eyes; neither of them had been sleeping real well lately. He had a feeling that it was due to some unresolved tension, at least it was on his part.

"David," she smiled at him, always pushing on. Always finding something he was certain she thought was gone, until he needed it again. And his name still sounded like the best word in existence when it came from her lips.

"I love you," he told her softly. "I have for a while, and I was fighting it, but I can't…no I don't want to anymore."

She didn't speak at first, and he felt his one simple little heart flutter in worry. Had he been this wrong, so wrong that she felt the same?

She reached up to touch his cheek, clean shaven again now that they had earned razors for good behavior. She had gotten hers weeks ago, apparently he wasn't quite as behaved as she was.

Her warm finger was stroking his warm face, and he had never felt so human or alive. "I love you too," she told him, simply. "Where does that leave us though?"

He ignored the shower for now, hoping she wouldn't protest. "Well, hopefully to a kiss."

She smiled, but he thought it looked a little sad. She had been down lately he was certain, the strain of all this becoming a heavier load day by day. He did everything he could think of to keep her fighting, but he had still been withholding himself. Maybe he would be enough, oh how he wanted to be enough.

He couldn't be that Time Lord, but for Elizabeth he could be a strong, good man. He would let his single heart beat for no one else if she would allow it, and somehow that seemed like more than the other him could ever offer anyone. One life, no second chances. Giving that to someone, offering that to someone, what else was there in the end?

He had thought all those months ago that this was a conversation he would be having with Rose, but he wasn't that man. And she would never be that girl to him, she just couldn't be, and that was no one's fault. The heart or hearts… and in his other self's case…love who they will. And all those sleepless nights he had been experiencing had given him time to think.

He thought that he could give her something else, when they got back. Something that would mean more than him, something that would mean the world to someone else too.

She leaned in, her lips touching his, breaking his thoughts, and he couldn't breathe. It was brief, but full of a hunger that spoke loudly about how right he was about the tension. Tension he wanted greatly to resolve right about now, but she pulled away.

"You need to shower, and I need to think," she smiled.

He was worried. He felt like he was losing her still. She wouldn't survive in this place if she didn't fight back, and he wouldn't survive without her. It had been that way from day one.

And that brief kiss, well he couldn't tell her but that had taken all those stars he didn't get to have any more, and given them all back. He hoped in a few more years, assuming the TARDIS he had been growing still was chugging along, that he could give the real ones to her.

"Shower with me," he pleaded, softly, trying hard to keep her there. He needed her, and even if she couldn't see it, she needed him.

"No funny business," she asked, but she was smiling, even though she was already showered and clean.

"I am quite funny," he joked, "But no, nothing like that, until you are ready."

She nodded, and he thanked anything out there that would care to listen as he took her hand. She washed him, and stood in the cascading water, looking like a goddess. It was the first time he had seen a woman naked since becoming a human. He had memories, but this was one of those things where memories couldn't compare.

He wanted to touch every inch, but he had told her and he would keep his word.

They finished, making their way back to the bed, and he kissed her deeply.

"David," she pushing him away gently

"Sorry," he blushed. He was trying, his body was just pushing him to act.

"No," she shook her head. "I want to do this, but I have to ask."

"They put contraceptive in the water," David offered.

"Good to know," she smiled and shook her head, "But that's not what I mean. What about Rose?"

"I don't love her," he told her, not feeling guilty about it for the first time. "I love you."

"What about when we get rescued, are you going to love her then?"

He couldn't blame her for worrying, but he couldn't let it continue. "You know the situation there, right Elizabeth?"

She nodded, "I know, the trial basis, but what about when you see her again, David?"

"Then I will be seeing a good friend, but you are the woman I love. The woman I want to give my one heart to, because I can't give you two."

"I don't want two," she murmured.

"I know," he agreed. "And you will never ask me to be what I can't be. And I will never ask you to be anything else. I want you to be who you are, and I promise, you are living in no one's shadow. You are the light."

"Kiss me," she whispered, and he did.

They were awoken before the dawn, both of them throwing clothes back on. They were always woken at dawn, with ten minutes before they had to go to the field. That was hours away, and David motioned for Elizabeth to stay sitting on the bed, just in case.

He opened the door, and swallowed hard.


	6. Chapter 6

"Rose," David sputtered out, surprised to see her, especially after all this time. It wasn't that he wasn't glad, but talking about someone coming for them turned out to be way different then someone actually coming for them.

"Doctor," she reached through the doorway, and pulled him into a tight hug. He returned it but pulled back quickly, knowing that even if she would never say anything that this would make Elizabeth worry.

"Um, come in?" He stepped out of the doorway, and she entered, followed by Pete and a few others that he knew the faces if not the names of them.

They stood, and Pete looked over them both briefly, "I'm so sorry it took so long," he told them, "We discovered that it wasn't really you two a couple of months ago, but we had to track you down."

David wanted to be upset that they hadn't been able to tell the difference between the real them and the imposters but he wasn't.

"Who was it," David asked Pete, Rose watching him with those big brown eyes.

He felt his breath hitch at the sight of her, but that faded rapidly. He had the only woman he wanted to love already, sitting quietly on the bed.

"They were some rebels from the race of Trintod," Pete told him, "They were trying to take over Torchwod. It could have been any of us, they weren't targeting you, you two just happened to be the only ones there when they attacked."

David nodded, looked back at Elizabeth. She looked sleepy, and he knew her well enough to know that she was in shock a little about the sudden reality of going home. He moved to sit by her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him in a hug.

He felt her small smile against his chest through his thin shirt. Maybe this was all she needed, hadn't they been each others rock this whole time? Did she think that was about to change, because that was the farthest thing from what he wanted.

"What do you say, we get you on the ship, and we will talk about this some more?" Rose suggested, her voice soft, and full of apology.

They settle the details of their release quickly, and it wasn't long before they were on a small borrowed space ship, that would take them back to Earth. Elizabeth had wandered away, and was now sleeping on a large bench seat. He wanted to be near her, to hold her in his arms, but right now he needed to get things settled with Rose.

Pete and the others had disappeared, probably to the flight deck, and it was just Rose and him, sitting and facing each other. Words seemed to be hard for either of them to find until Rose at last said, "I'm so sorry, Doctor. I should have known it wasn't you sooner."

Should she have? He wasn't the Doctor, well no more than maybe the likeness of a brother, and she didn't know him. That wasn't her fault, those months that had showed all his change, had been spent working at a labor camp, with a woman that wasn't her.

"It's okay," he told her softly. He took her hand into his, not wanting to lead her on, but it did feel good to hold her. He had missed her terribly. "It wasn't your fault; I wasn't exactly the same man you went chasing."

She nodded, and he saw her swallow hard. He knew that there was something more, but he didn't know if she wanted to tell him yet. "I love you, you know."

It was his turn to pause, what could he say. Did he love her…well, of course, till the end of his life, she would always be Rose, but was that what she meant. "I love you too Rose, you know that. Always will, but I think we need to talk about that."

"I started dating someone," she spoke quickly, before he could continue.

He bit his lip, he hadn't been expecting that, and he couldn't help the slight sense of jealously that arose. She wasn't his to claim though, not now, and he pushed it away. "Okay." He nodded for her to continue.

"It's nothing serious, or anything, but the fake you had been acting like such a jerk, and I just thought I deserved to be the chance to be happy."

"You do," David nodded, he agreed with that completely and that was why he had something he wanted to offer her.

"Do you want me to stop," she asked, and he knew what she was really asking. Was there still a chance for them, and he looked at the sleeping woman not too far away. She followed his gaze.

"I want you to be happy, Rose," he told her.

She nodded, and he knew that she understood. That he had found someone else, and he suspected if she knew how different he really was from the man she had defied the rules of the universe for, then she would understand why it was better this way.

"I better go check on the flight deck, Doctor," she told him, and her voice was sad and soft. He wanted to pull her into a hug, and maybe that would come, but this was all too fresh.

"Please, call me David," he told her, and knew that with those four words he had just sealed his fate with Rose. They would never be more than friends, and while it was sad, he wasn't heartbroken. He felt free, and he had Elizabeth. She wouldn't ask him to be that man from his stories, and that was what he needed in this life.

She just nodded, and turned.

He had just stolen something important from her. She might not have loved him as David, but she did love him as the Doctor. He was left her for her, to be a gift, but he was a gift that she didn't want. She wanted the man she had traveled to find, and who was he to blame her. If he had crossed dimensions to find her, why would he want a substitute?

She was walking away, and he couldn't offer himself to her anymore. He belonged to someone else, but he could offer her the part of him that was the Doctor. His mind, his genius, and he had a plan to get her back to the man she loved. It wouldn't be easy, but fortunately there was another genius asleep down the ways, and with her help he imagined they could have the project complete in a few months.

"Rose," he spoke to her back and she paused and turned.

"If I could get you back, to the TARDIS, to him, would you want to go?"

He saw her eyes light up, for a brief moment, and then she frowned. "Can't use the cannon anymore."

He smiled, and reached out for her, pulling her to a hug now. He couldn't resist. She wouldn't be his Rose, and this would mean losing her forever, but she deserved this. "I can get you there, I'm almost positive. Do you want that?"

"I would always want that," she told him, and pulled back. "Would he want me back?"

"That man," he told her with a conviction. "Will always want you by his side, Rose Tyler."

She smiled, and he smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded, "It'll take a bit, but I promise I will figure it out for you."

She nodded, "I'm going to go talk to Pete."

She ran from the room, bringing memories of the girl that the Time Lord first met. He didn't like the idea of the world without Rose in it, but if that was what she wanted he would do it. He moved to sit down near Elizabeth's head, and tapped her shoulder lightly.

She opened her eyes, and looked up at him with a smile. "Will you marry me?"


End file.
